Commutator for internal-combustion motors



June 29 1926.

1,590,802 w. H. BLATCHLEY COMMUTATOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORSFiled March 25, 1922 Patented June 29, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. BLATCHLEY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMMUTATOR FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION MOTORS.

Application filed Marc 25, 1922. Serial No. 546,827.

This invention relates to the housing for commutators or timers forinternal combustion motors. More particularly it relates to improvementsin housings for comn'mtators adapted to be used with the standard Fordautomobile motor.

The objects of the invention are to sinu plify the construction andimprove the functioning of the housing for comnuitators for Ford motors,particularly by rendering such housing oil tight for the purpose offacilitating lubrication. A further object is to provide a commutatorhousing which will cooperate with a standard gasket pro vided on Fordmotors surrounding the end of the cam shaft which drives the commutator, and also with a fixed spring provided for holding he commutatorhousing in place on standard Ford motors. A further object is to providea housing which will he oil-tight, and which will be sealed bycoopcrating with standard parts of Ford motor constructions. Otherobjects and ad antageg of my arrangement will be apparent to thosefamiliar with the art.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a central vertical partial sectionthrough my commutator housing as applied to a standard Ford motorconstruction; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the housing with the coverremoved; Fig. 3 is a central section of the housing with the coverremoved; and i is a central section of the cover cap removed from thehousing.

The standard Ford construction of timers comprises an end of the camshaft 1 extend ing through the wall 2 of the engine block and surroundedby an oil sealing resilient washer 3, exactly as illustrated in Fig. 1.Cooperating with these parts the standard construction comprises a platehaving a central opening adapted to slide over the cam shaft and to bearagainst the washer 3, and an open cup shaped shell adapted to bearagainst the said washer, and to carry a standard contact ring similar tothat illustrated in Fig. 2 of the present drawing.

It will be understood that in use a roller,

contact member is mounted on the cam shaft and makes contact with thecontacts 5 as illustrated in Fig. 2. Such construction is standard andtherefore is not illustrated. A spring arm 15 fixed in the enginestructure has its free end adapted to bear against the shell and topress the shell constantly towards the engine block, and so to hold itin position. one difficulty with such a construction is that oil is notpermanently re tained therein, seeping out around the edges of the openshell.

In my construction I have obviated this difficulty, and generallyimproved upon the arrangement and functioning of the parts of thecommutator housing, by the arrangement illustrated in the drawingswherein the housing comprises a substantially cylindri al shell portion7, carrying intermediate its ends an insulating ring 4 having thereinthe standard metal contact segments 5, following the usual constructionof such commut-ators. The rear wall of the shell 7 is partially closedby a sheet metal back 6, rigidly and tightly attached to the bodyportion 7 at their meeting edges to form an oil-tight joint. This backwall 6 is indented on its outer side to form a circular recess portion3, and the central part of this is cut away to form opening 9 adapted topermit passage therethrough of the end of the ram shaft 1, asillustrated in Fig. 1. The portion 8 is adapted to it over and bearagainst the outer surface of the standard oil retaining washer 3, asillustrated in Fig. 1. Consequently. when the back wall 6 is pressedagainst the outer face of the washer 3, the portion 8 being of such adepth that the washer is adapted to form the abutment for the rear wallof the commutator housing, an oil-tight closure of the rear wall of thehousing is made by cooperation with the said washer 3.

The body portion of the shell at its other 3 end is threaded at 10, toreceive a cover cap 16, which in turn is threaded at 11 so as to fitinto and form an oil-tight engagement with the shell member 7 as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 1. This cap 16 protrudes outward from the threadedportion in a somewhat conical shape, and has a central terminal oil hole12 therein, this hole being surrounded by an inturned inwardly flaredflange 13. This flared flange prevents oil from es aping through thehole, in obvious manner. The spring arm 15 used with the standard Fordcommutator has an indented.

portion 17 at its free end, and this protuberance is adapted to fit.into the opening 12 in the cap 16. Consequently, the pressure of thespring at this point serves the double function of sealing the oil holein the housing, and pressing the housing as a whole towards the block,and consequently of mainand] cining o tight tit bet veen the rear wall 6thereof and the geslzet 3. Consequently with this arrangement thestandard washer 6 and the standard spring member 15 cooperate with myform of housing to form oil seals on each side thereof. There are noother openings in the housing through which oil can escape. it will beunderstood that a rolling Contact brush is mounted on the cent shat'tinside the contact ring t, and. beers the inner periphery the; ringesthe chin v is rotated, nie successive contacts with the contact nien'nbers no: it'ly as in the well understood operation oi c nn'intntors of tis type.

In eppl hp; my coniniutetnr hons'ng; to Ford motor, the main b dineiiber the housing slipped over the end of the can-1 shaft and intoContact with the felt wesher The brush nbl is then sii'p'ped. over thecoin shett to i ,per position Contact in the thei scr-aved i oil isintroduced to hole 12', and then the shown. at Fig. 1, t the oil hole,and conswntly presr-iing the entire housing; towards the engine block.and conseqnei v making a tight joint between the rear wall 6 and the oilsea-ling washer o.

I claim:

1. A conn'nutzitor cssi provided .Vltl'i' a body end end walls soassociated therewith us to form a: lubricant retaining chamber, one 01?sell walls heia lubricant feeding opening: therein, and a stwtionsryspring; arin provided with e protuberance fittin in said opening wherebyto close the opening and to resiliently bind the easing into firnicontactwith. the ngine.

22'. A; connnntetor casing; provided with a body and endwells soassociated therewith as to iorlnlubricant retaining chamber, one of saidend walls having a depression therein with a lubricant feeding opening;at the bottom of the depression, and a stationary spring arin provioedwith a protuberance fitting in eid opening whereby to close the openingand to resiliently bind the casing into tirin'contact withv the engine.

AL commutator casing provided with a body and end walls so associatedtherewith as to form a; lubricant retaining chamber,

"ovided with a ed therewith as to torn i a lubricant cheniber, one ofsand end walls bovine l d GSSlOB therein with e lubri ant tee bottom ofthe depressioi, projecting snnn-ier deflect rounding the said openingconcave periphery, end a stoti provided with e protuberance t t openingwhereby to close the opening and resilie itly force the casing intofirni contact with the en 5. A1 connnntetor cesing provided with acylindrical body and spaced end walls so associated therewith as to forma lubricant iet-einii chamber, one of said end wa ls roving a depressiondisposed the center thereof with lnbric nt feeding opening at thebottom, of the depression, on i-nward'l} projecting ennnlzirdetiectingroundingthe said opening pro-viced with :1 concave periphery,and an anchored springarm provided with a protuberance fitting in saidopening whereby to close the opening and to resilient y press the easinginto i 7 contact with th engine to position the seen.

6-. A connnntetor housing tor combustion motors comprising a shellhaving an int back well closed except for an opening adapted to i t overthe end of the con iniutetor driving shaft, a screw cap adopted toenclose the other side of the shell, said screw cap projecting outwardand having a central oil hole tliierein a spring normally press-- ingagainst thescrew cap and sealing the oil hole, and a: resilient r: shersurroundingthe driving shaft and positioned between the rear wall of thehousing and the engine block and spacing the housing therefrom.

Signed by me at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this 23rd day oat March, 1 22.

WILLIAM H. BLATGHLE-Y.

